1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a disk apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a disk apparatus having a disk tray.
2. Background Information
With a conventional disk apparatus, a tray panel unit is mounted to a front end part of a disk tray. The disk tray is retractably attached to a device frame. In the disk apparatus, the disk tray is used to load a disk as a recording medium into the device frame and eject the disk forward with respect to the device frame. When a disk is mounted on the disk tray and loaded into the device frame, a recording surface of the disk is optically processed, and information is recorded or retrieved.
The tray panel unit includes a horizontally elongated panel main body, a horizontally elongated attachment frame and spring urging mechanisms. The attachment frame is fixed to the front end part of the disk tray. The spring urging mechanisms connects the panel main body to the attachment frame. The spring urging mechanisms includes guide shafts and compression coil springs. The guide shaft is inserted in a freely fitting state in shaft insertion holes of the attachment frame so as to extend from the panel main body. The compression coil springs are fitted on the guide shafts as spring bodies and have one end connected to the guide shafts and the other end overlapping on floor surfaces on a back surface of the attachment frame. The panel main body is always elastically urged toward the attachment frame by extending action (restoring action) of the compression coil springs. The attachment frame also includes a receiving part for bracing the panel main body urged by the compression coil springs and suppressing wobble in the panel main body.
The spring urging mechanisms are provided in two locations in a transverse direction of the tray panel unit. Rotational shifting in which one end or the other end in the transverse direction of the panel main body swings in a thickness direction of the disk tray is suppressed when two of the spring urging mechanisms are provided in the transverse direction of the tray panel unit. Therefore, this configuration helps to prevent the panel main body from becoming misaligned to an unacceptable degree with respect to the disk tray.
The disk apparatus is generally accommodated by a chassis. When the chassis includes a front panel, a tray exit/entry opening through which the disk tray of the disk apparatus exits and enters is formed in the front panel, and the disk tray moves in and out between a disk ejecting position and a disk loading position through the tray exit/entry opening.
With the disk apparatus, since the disk tray protrudes forward from the tray exit/entry opening when the disk tray is moved forward toward the ejecting position, the panel main body of the tray panel unit is separated from the tray exit/entry opening. In contrast, when the disk tray is retracted toward the loading position, the panel main body of the tray panel unit contacts with a receiving frame part formed around the tray exit/entry opening just prior to the disk tray reaching the loading position. When the disk tray retracts toward the loading position and reaches the loading position, the attachment frame of the tray panel unit that is mounted to the disk tray compresses the compression coil springs and separates from the panel main body. The panel main body therefore blocks the tray exit/entry opening in a state of being pressed against the receiving frame part of the tray exit/entry opening.
The panel main body contacts with the receiving frame part of the tray exit/entry opening just prior to the disk tray reaching the loading position when the disk tray is retracted toward the loading position. Then, the attachment frame compresses the compression coil springs and separates from the panel main body as the disk tray reaches the loading position. The impact applied to the front panel and other components absorbed and mitigated by the compression coil springs when the panel main body collides with the receiving frame part. Furthermore, the gap between the panel main body and the receiving frame part of the tray exit/entry opening is blocked and less noticeable, the collision noise is reduced and the operating quality of the disk apparatus is enhanced, and it is easier to absorb error in the assembly precision of the disk tray and other components. The panel main body prevents entry of debris from the tray exit/entry opening when the tray exit/entry opening is blocked since the panel main body is pressed against the receiving frame part of the tray exit/entry opening when the disk tray has reached the loading position. Moreover, it is harder for wind noise or the like created by the disk rotation to escape from the tray exit/entry opening.
The tray panel unit has the panel main body for blocking the tray exit/entry opening, and the spring bodies for pressing the panel main body against the receiving frame part of the tray exit/entry opening when the disk tray is retracted to the loading position. The compression coil springs are used as the spring bodies. The attachment frame and the panel main body of the tray panel unit are also connected by the spring urging mechanisms in two locations in the transverse direction of the tray panel unit.
Various proposals have been made in the past regarding the specific structure of the tray panel unit in a disk apparatus in which the tray panel unit is mounted to the front end part of the disk tray. For example, a structure is known in which the disk tray and the panel main body are connected by compression coil springs in two locations in the transverse direction (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-40671, for example). A structure has also been proposed in which tension coil springs are used instead of compression coil springs, and the disk tray and panel main body are connected by tension coil springs in two locations in the transverse direction thereof (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-282569, for example). A structure has also been proposed in which a horizontally elongated resin spring is integrally molded with the panel main body, and the resin spring is connected to the disk tray (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-231779, for example).
With all of the structures proposed in these patent documents, coil springs (compression coil springs or tension coil springs) are used as the spring bodies, the axial directions of the coil springs are aligned with the ejection and loading direction of the disk tray, and the substantial rotational shift of both ends in the transverse direction of the panel main body is suppressed by placing the coil springs in two locations in the transverse direction of the horizontally elongated panel main body.
However, when compression coil springs, tension coil springs, or other coil springs are used as the spring bodies, and the axial directions of the coil springs are aligned with the ejection and loading direction of the disk tray, overall dimensions of the tray panel unit, i.e., the length dimension (hereinafter referred to as the “thickness dimension of the tray panel unit) in the axial direction of the coil springs that includes the panel main body, the attachment frame, and the coil springs (spring bodies) increases as the axial length of the coil springs increases. Furthermore, the overhang width of the tray panel unit from the front end of the disk tray increases by a commensurate amount, and the size of the disk apparatus is increased. Furthermore, when the wire diameter of the coil springs is increased in order to increase the elastic force of the coil springs, and the pitch of the coil parts of the coil springs is enlarged in order to increase the amount of extension and contraction of the coil springs, the axial length of the coil springs increases by a commensurate amount, and the problems described above become more severe.
When coil springs are used as the spring bodies, the spring urging mechanisms is provided in two locations in the transverse direction of the tray panel unit in order to suppress the rotational shifting of the panel main body and prevent misalignment thereof. Therefore, at least two spring bodies are necessary, and the cost of parts and assembly are increased.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved disk device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.